Happy holidays!

We've had a fun but busy week! Christmas was amazing! We started our weekend with a trip to the beach Friday! Saturday Steven carted the kids to the gym so I could work on last minute projects, make brunch for christmas morning and of course some wrapping!

It's was a present! They came home and napped while I still wrapped. That night we went to my aunts for a festive dinner, nativity, carols then, a few presents! The kids couldn't have been cuter or better behaved. We changed them into their Christmas pjs there and carted two tired but excited kids home. Brushed teeth, left out cookies and carrots for santa and his gang. Then sang silent night and said prayers off to bed! That's when the fun begins! I put on Christmas music and ate cookies to stay awake! Steven went to midnight mass with my mother (for fun?) while I put out items under the tree. I am greatful Santa does not wrap presents at our house!!! Steven got home, who knows when i was dreaming of sugar plums and was putting things together until 2:30 am.


Lillian woke up 3:31 am ( teething) I changed her and gave her a drink of water, peeked at what steven had put together (lil did not see no worries) then because it was Christmas I as per her request sang her some Christmas songs and rocked her back to sleep! Put her back down, went back to bed only to be woken around 7 by breathing in my face.

elliott whispering pst "mom it's Christmas". I get out of bed make elliott snuggle with Steven while I check to see if Santa brought lucky charms for the kids first breakfast he did I pulled it out of the giant stocking Elliott's grandmother made him and set him up with it at the table. I do dishes while he eats then he helps me unload the dishwasher and sweep while we wait for others to wake up. Poor kid was so excited. Lil made a peep around 740 ( why can't she sleep this late on a non holiday morning?? ). Elliott ran in. I feed her some lucky charms and send Elliott in to wake Steven. Then it begins! Months of shopping torn open quickly. We let the kids go at there our pace. Lillian was hilarious sometime she would sit and open her presents wildly back to back other time she just wanted to run around the house like a 2 yr full of lucky charms. Elliott examined everything Santa brought then opened his gifts.

The house smelled so good with the breakfast casserole and cinnamon rolls I made the day before and cooked that morning. My family came over for brunch then more presents. Mom got the kids dressed for church while we changed. The Christmas program was lovely and it was nice to break up the busy day with something reminded us that this holiday is truly for remembering Jesus Christ's birth. That afternoon we all napped then to my parents house for their party!

It was a great day. Steven has all week off and we plan on enjoying that fully. He and e are playing golf right now !!! Picture to come as soon as I get my new computer:)

Eman 5th birthday!

Look who's 5!!!

He wanted a baseball diamond cake with baseball cupcakes!We started the celebrations the night before with the cake.

 Morning of the Birthday donut breakfast! 

Waiting to go out to dinner with Jojo, Nana and uncle matt.  Lil with her nose so bright! 


Eman is a delight.  As a parent I could not be more proud of him.  Right before his birthday he learned ride his bike!!! He loves books and has started to read basic words.  (he has a memory like a hawk so sometimes I have to make sure he is actually reading the words rather than recieting them from memory)  He teases me like his dad and is a pretty funny kid.  Most importantly he is kind and sweet.  He is a huge help to me and we are so greatful to have him in our family. 

Thanksgivings

Well our Thanksgiving week started off with miss lil having the FLU!  yuck!       The miracle of it all was that we did not spread it around the family, but all got sick with different things, ie colds, migraines etc.

Worst we had to change our Thanksgiving plans :-(   Not wanting to be caught on a 10 hour car ride with the possibility of one of us getting that horrible flu. 

Steven was really bummed not to be able to go up to his folks.  Elliott was upset not to go on vacation and see his Grandpa Steve and daisy dog.  I was upset that I could only imagine how yummy all the things Camille and her daughter and daughter in law made (some of the pies sounded AMAZING!).  We tried to make the most of it.  We went to the beach, played some football and rested.  We then crashed my parent's thanksgiving feast.

eman was thankful for the cutest things this year

-his mom who helps him and does nice things for him (ahhhh he noticed)
-the Temples so we can be a forever family
-and his toys!

Lill was thankful for being able to keep her food down (haha okay I was thankful for that!)



Happy holidays to all! 

Happy Halloween? Can you guess who we are?

Can you guess who I am???

 Here's a clue (it's the ring)

 No we don't match as a family but we are still all cute!

Lill's 2

She loves airplanes, always moving, loves sweets of all sorts, is a huge helper, she still snuggles, and has a mind of her own!  Happy birthday Darling!  We love you xoxoxo

so long to summer!

Summer we know you have been gone for a while now... we miss you but I sure do like the structure which fall brings in to my life!!!! 


 first day school for Eman yeah preschool :-)

Last night at the beach house

Okay so I don't think steven reads this....

Okay so a few months back I was feeling goofy (surprise- not a new feeling for me)  and decided to wear not matching pjs to see if Steven would say anything.  He didn't so then I thought I would wear not matching pjs until he said something.

Nothing!  After a week I caved.  I know I am weak.  I was sick of miss match plade and flowers and randomness. (I also apparently have to many pairs of pjs to begin with)

I do however need to process this....

Steven would say something if I was about to step out of the house miss matched.  I know, I have tried.  So he must work so hard (9-7 this summer) that he was too tired to notice?  Eman did not say anything so maybe I miss match all my clothing and no one says anything??? Or maybe Steven picks his battles and this is one he let slide?  Who knows.  Who really cares?  I thought it was a funny joke which only I could laugh at.

 

Here is a photo of my kiddos in pjs making oatmeal cookies with me... in there pjs (ya not post a photo of me in mine... just not going to happen- I have lots of photos of my kids in pjs .... will need to process that later)

 

Cute kids that I love more than I ever imagined possible.  

Summer is...

 the beach...

 the farm...

T-ball...

and lots more...

Family Vacation... part 2

Family Vacation day 1... part 1

We set of early morning with two excited kids!  They were great!  Except when they wanted the toy the other one had simply because the other one had it (this went on for about five minutes so no complaints)

We passed a town called Buttonwillow (whose name amused me greatly and also the fact that it had a vegan Indian eatery that looked like it was located in an old dennys)
We passed a town called Los Banos... my espanol isn't perfect but doesn't that mean... the bathroom (I looked it up it really means the baths named after springs)

Time for a lunch spot.  Steven 'Yelped' and we ended up....

 Always wanted to eat here.  After we ordered I took the kids outside to run around.  They were sick of sitting still.  So was I.  When our food came we calmed down and tried to blend into the cafe.  I had a Monte Crisco sandwich (yummy) and Steven had french toast (breakfast served all day!) The kids spit a kids meal of mac and cheese (it was easy mac but they loved it).  Sadly we were not brave enough to try the split pea soup... It just looked so green.

 Elliott took our photo!

We tired them out they slept all the way to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento.

June brides!!!

This month we were pleased to be a part of a wedding a weekend!  It was a lot of fun!  Elliott is spoiled by the attention he received from the babysitters while we were at the temples and also by the amount of comments he got at the receptions about how cute he is!!  Lillian liked the treats!  Both kids loved  the dancing!
First wedding was a friend from our ward(no photos but was amazing!), second was my friend from study abroad and finally my cousin kyler, who luck for us married a girl from the next town over!!!

 Steven and I were lucky enough to make my best friend's wedding in Redlands a get way! Whoho! Thanks to my mom, neighbors and our sitter who took care of the kids.

 I dropped Steven off at a work basketball tournament and drove home to Elliott and Lillian.  Where I then took Elliott to his first TBall practice!

 The lovely Ladies!  My Aunt Deanna, Cuzin kenna, mom, Lois and Me!

 This was the look of the young girls when they saw the couple come out of the temple. I thought is was cute! Go Temple Marriage!!!(Kenna kylers sister and the other one a cousin of the bride)

The Royal Wedding...

April 29, 2011 the Royal Wedding of Marriage of H.R.H Prince William of Wales, K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton.

I had such an amazing time and feel so luck that I have a mother and friends who are crazy enough to stay up with me!

My mom got us all replica engagement rings so we could be bling bling!

 

So we made a night of it.  Went out for fish and chips at the harbor.  Then stayed up all night having a tea party at midnight to watch the Royal Wedding! 

 The next morning Steven dropped off two cute kids!  Thanks honey for the fun night away!  We spent the day at the park, watching movies and NAPPING!

PS I think I want to do this for every Royal event, funerals, weddings, births, etc ;-)

We've been a little busy, good busy!

 I feel like I have been going nonstop these last few weeks!  Its been great!!!

 Cuz Kenna came for a visit!  We all love her!  This is the gals dressed for a day of shopping with Lois Anne

 In Vegas visiting with Cuzin Keltie so cute!  Lillian loves her and Elliott is so protective and sweet!

 In St. George on April 15 (JennyM's bday!)  We stopped by the temple just as the sun set -Beautiful!

 This is my Dad's Uncle and his wife!  I think he looks like my dad!  They feed us a yummy breakfast!

 The Stevens, Steven Anthony, Steven Charles, and Steven Elliott.  We went down to Milford, Ut for Great great grandmother Alice's funeral. 

 We fit in some egg hunting also!!!